Great visitor success for IMA at Interpack 2017

IMA was one of the main exhibitors at Interpack with a stand of about 3,500 square meters.

The Group exhibited new machines and complete lines for the processing and packaging of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, tea and coffee. Hall 17 was devoted entirely to IMA’s latest innovations.  

The high number of quality specialists visiting the IMA stand included a very good percentage of foreign visitors, which underlined the achievement of Interpack and the importance of exhibiting at this event. IMA recorded far more visitors than the previous edition of Interpack, doubling the score, with high numbers from Europe, Middle East, India, Far East, the USA and South America. There were also visitors from emerging countries, who expressed great interest in the new IMA range of machines. These are positive results, giving a considerable number of new contacts and the opportunities for new business, all of which rewards IMA’s commitment to the high quality of products and technology presented at the event.

The many new solutions that the Group presented at Interpack were well received by its international customers, confirming the continued product innovation that has always distinguished IMA: lots of new machines were exhibited for the first time at Interpack on a total of more than 20 machines on display on the IMA stand.

Interpack was the right showcase to present the IMA Digital programme, which summarises all of the projects that represent IMA’s commitment to the evolution towards the Smart Factory, Smart Machines, Smart Organisation and Smart Services. IMA’s leadership in terms of innovation and technology imposes a highly competitive position, also in the challenges of Industry 4.0. IMA Digital project will continue after this start with a precise roadmap the IMA Group will follow in the next years to come.

The high-precision technology of IMA’s entire range of machines was also revealed in the tiniest detail through cutting-edge solutions such as jumbo screen videowalls. As an important new tool, 3 Immersive Virtual Reality stations were available on the IMA stand. With the aid of a helmet customers had the opportunity to surf among the machines units and groups throughout the process, interacting with some operations understanding therefore ergonomics and special machine features and configurations.

Here are the new machines on display at Interpack.

IMA Pharma

IMA Active

Continuous Manufacturing is one of the most important drivers for innovation within the pharmaceutical industry. CROMA, the new machine for continuous coating, is IMA’s first step in this direction. Of the various manufacturing phases for solid dosage, IMA Active has decided to start from coating because this process fits between two inherently continuous processes: compression and packaging. In fact, CROMA is designed to work in-line with a tablet press machine for medium production output. IMA’s team is ready to welcome the demand for innovation coming from companies and stakeholders, working together to design the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

IMA Life
INJECTA is the ultimate frontier in the process of RTF syringes in tubs. The machine new design concept envisions the use of advanced robotics to assure smooth processing of tubs and components with minimum operator’s access to the working area. Quality control of production is the biggest advantage of this revolutionary concept in syringe filling.

The SENSITIVE AP400 COMPACT is the IMA Life’s latest development in the field of carton labelling. Its reduced overall length of 1.400 mm allows effective and valuable integrations in the major challenging packaging lines, where space availability and high speed requirements are the foremost prerequisites to cope with.

Also on display, the new carton labeler, SENSITIVE AP400 CW, which has been conceived to feature, as all Sensitive Series, the application of labels on three of the carton’s sides, with positive transport system. A sophisticated 100% in process advanced check weighing system performs the quality control of the production.

IMA Safe
Compared with previous models, the Dynamica offers improved ergonomics, a new HMI, no limits in terms of product feeding, and a new product bucket belt which allows better integration with the product feeder and a considerable reduction in size. Dynamica was in-line with the new BFB MS260 A stretch banding machine and the new BFB CPH2 horizontal case packer.

Based on the success of the SOMBRERO (a one-row production feeder), a new double-row production feeder FILL-IT has been developed. It maintains the extraordinary capacities of the SOMBRERO with the added benefit of being able to work in two rows.

In the Pharma area, visitors also had the chance to discover the PROCESS INNOVATION HUB, a corner dedicated to novel process technologies.

CONTINUOUS PHARMACEUTICAL offers a breakthrough Integrated Continuous Manufacturing (ICM) technology for small molecule pharmaceuticals, where synthesis of the active ingredient and the final dosage form are integrated into a seamless process. This novel method allows “on-demand” manufacturing of pharmaceuticals with significant advantages in terms of production lead time, quality and costs.

The IMA latest innovations for monitoring, improvement and optimization of the FREEZE DRYING PROCESS was presented through the new launch of IMA Life WiSe – wireless sensor technology to advance pharmaceutical manufacturing.

GIMA Coffee
The 595 is a single serve coffee capsule filling and sealing machine with automatic feeding system. The machine strikes a perfect balance between performance and practicality. The unique ergonomic cantilever design assures great accessibility for maintenance, service and easy cleaning, significantly reducing line downtimes. The 595 has a new robotized automatic capsule feeding system.

IMA Tea & Herbs
Sporting a clean, compact design, the brand new C27-E is a 300 bags/minute packaging solution with knot technology for tea and herbs, able to process naked bags and sealed outer envelopes, incorporating a newly-conceived flexible cartoning attachment.

The highly compact C59 is the new packaging solution for heat-sealed, single-chamber bags without string and tag. For tea, and especially for herbs, it packages in flow packs for improved product preservation.

Dairy & Food
SmartCup, designed by IMA Fillshape, is a new thermoforming, filling and sealing machine. It is a continuous motion rotary machine, which can manage materials change in real time; it has a lot of flexibility in format changes and no waste in the production process.

IMA Hassia extends its product range by adding a new packaging machine for portion cups in the low output range – an ergonomic FFS machine for mini-portions. The P100 as an entry-level machine is particularly noteworthy for its compact design and easy handling.

IMA Benhil presented a new wrapping machine, the Multipack 2000, for pasty products, i.e. butter, margarine, edible fats, cream cheese, etc. This machine is also noteworthy for being extremely compact and very robust.

On display by Corazza, the new I20 wrapping machine for pressed cubes. It is a completely servo-driven machine which simplifies all production processes and handling. The machine is suitable for pressed stock cubes, as well as for chocolate or milk-based products.

Another highlight is the Ermetika by IMA Fillshape. The high-speed continuous motion rotary machine – in virtual reality on the stand – fills and seals pre-made spouted pouches and is of particular interest for liquid cosmetic and cleaning products.

Personal care

GIMA presented FTC 578-C, a new continuous high-speed vertical cartoner. Versatile and flexible, it can handle different types of packaging (various shapes of carton packs, plastic bottles, metal containers, etc.), as well as a number of product counting solutions.

C1290 is the new automatic tube filler being displayed by IMA Safe CO.MA.DI.S. Available with different levels of automation along with a wide range of additional devices, it is the “state of the art” of single nozzle technology. Performance is combined with simplicity in change-over sequences and quick dismantling of contact parts.

The new VERTI│CARE vertical cartoner, designed for cosmetic applications, packs products while maintaining the quality of the final package.

IMA Automation and GIMA Confectionery displayed their new solutions through a Totem touch, while GIMA TT had an Info corner.

Discover more on: interpack.ima.it